Changed times in Kerry. According to county secretary, Tony O'Keeffe, tickets have sold out. This unusual enthusiasm for a semi-final is attributed to a couple of factors. For a start, unlike last year's disastrous outing against Mayo, there is - in some if not all quarters - a grim realisation that they're in a match and that waiting for the final could be a lengthy process.

There is also sympathy within the county for the amount of abuse the young team has taken, particularly on local radio. "The morning after the Munster final," according to one Kerryman, "you'd swear we'd lost." On top of this, what has been termed "the Sky following" of children bedecked in the county's jerseys has shot up.

Kerry are in the curious position of not having a big match behind them because although Clare are a credible championship force and gave them a rough ride in the Munster final, it was a match they were expected to win and lacked the intense pressure of the annual crack at Cork.

Cavan, on the other hand, had the usual grinding experience of Ulster champions. Even what was billed as the easy side of the draw proved trickier than expected, with All-Ireland B champions Fermanagh most unfortunate to be pegged back for a draw in the sixth minute of injury-time before Cavan won the replay.

In the circumstances, it is natural that people will be more swayed by the proximity of Cavan's great result against Derry than by Kerry's National League final victory over Cork last May, rated as so important by manager Paid i O Se, but the time lapse involved can distort matters.

The changes to the Munster champions' line-up have been forced by injury to their corner backs, but the presence of Stephen Stack and Sean Burke brings great experience into the line where new full back Barry O'Shea has been improving steadily over the season. He's vulnerable in the air - as was indicated in the League final - but has coped well with most challenges.

Around the midfield diamond, there are further question marks concerning Kerry. Liam Flaherty's robust attention to the physical detail of manning the 40 has occasionally been undermined by a tendency to foul and a lack of pace. His presence will be important, but the concession of frees will be punished and Cavan's short game could also cause trouble.

Centrefield raises further questions because Dara O Se and William Kirby haven't been performing to potential so far and were well beaten by Clare.

When centrefield struggles, the full forwards - Kerry's most potent line - struggle. In the Munster final, Brian Clarke's fortunes almost identically reflected those of Kirby and O Se, whereas Maurice Fitzgerald was forced deep and only Dara O Cinneide managed to busy himself with a performance which, if still short of his formidable best, showed an encouraging improvement in terms of running and distribution.

As in the League final, it was left to the half-forward line to provide the main contribution. Pa Laide's 1-2 included the matchwinning goal and underwrote a menacing display on the wing.

It will be the full forwards, though, that stand the best chance of setting Kerry on their way to a first All-Ireland final in 11 years. Derry might have justified their favouritism had they unleashed early ball into their own highlyregarded inside forwards, they but persisted with a running game.

To manage that, however, requires centrefield to provide the supply and in that sector, the performance of Dermot McCabe for Cavan in the Ulster final brought his immense talent to a wider audience. He had to do so without the experience of Stephen King at full throttle after a hamstring pull had greatly inhibited him from an early stage.

An encouraging aspect of this confrontation is that in last year's All-Ireland under-21 final, when three of tomorrow's centrefielders were in opposition, is that Kerry did quite well, so the potential exists if not the form.

Cavan's defence is very much a unit and a very flexible one. Gerry Sheridan moved back to the corner to mark Joe Brolly the last day and his effort and that of Philip Kermath meant that Derry's corner forwards scored no more from play, two points, than their corner backs.

Bernard Morris looks a conventionally physical stopper at centre back, but this belies the mobility of the half-backs and the swarming activity of the defence as a whole.

In order to sustain the pace of their game and the tactic of hunting in packs, Cavan have to be very fit and have been described as the fittest team in the country and any argument with that description has come on behalf of Offaly rather than Kerry or Mayo.

Neither should it be overlooked that Cavan are a more versatile team than the fast, hard-running unit of general belief. Of their 114 in the Ulster final, 1-5 came from accurately-delivered long ball. Peter and Larry Reilly are comfortable with either approach.

Peter's capacity to place longrange, kicked passes is important to the team and, on the end of such deliveries, brother Larry can be lethally dangerous on an isolated defender.

This is a very difficult match to call, but the basis of opting for Cavan is that in such an open championship, form and momentum are particularly important. The Ulster champions have both those qualities in more obvious amounts than Kerry.

Whereas last year's defeat by Mayo will have made Kerry more wary, the team is not performing near enough to its potential to be favoured against a team going well, with a genuinely integrated panel and good substitutes.